Chapter 2 - Medical Terminology (Rice)

Learning Outcomes Recognize how suffixes are used when building medical words. Identify adjective, noun, and diminutive suffixes. Be aware of suffixes that have more than one meaning. Learning Outcomes Recognize suffixes that pertain to pathological conditions. Identify selected suffixes common to surgical and diagnostic procedures. Analyze, build, spell, and pronounce medical words. Overview of Suffixes Suffix means to fasten on, beneath, or under. A suffix can be a syllable or group of syllables united with or placed at the end of a word to alter or modify the meaning of the word or to create a new word. A suffix is connected to a root or to a combining form to make new words. Overview of Suffixes A compound suffix is made up of more than one word component. It too is added to a root or a combining form to modify its meaning. Whenever you change the suffix, you alter the meaning of the word to which it is attached. Overview of Suffixes The following guidelines pertain to suffixes: If the suffix begins with a vowel, drop the combining vowel from the combining form and add the suffix. If the suffix begins with a consonant, keep the combining vowel and add the suffix to the combining form. Overview of Suffixes The following guidelines pertain to suffixes: Keep the combining vowel between two or more roots in a term. When giving the meaning of the word or reading its definition, you usually begin with the meaning of the suffix. General Use Suffixes All suffixes, when written, are preceded by a hyphen (–) to signify that they are to be linked to the end of a root or combining form. Insert table 2-1 Table 2.1 (continued) Selected Suffixes for General Use Insert table 2-1 Table 2.1 (continued) Selected Suffixes for General Use Grammatical Suffixes Those suffixes that can be attached to a word root to form a part of speech, especially a noun or adjective, or to make a medical word singular or plural in form. Suffixes are also used to indicate a diminutive form of a word that specifies a smaller version of the object indicated by the word root. Insert Table 2-2 Insert Table 2-3 Insert Table 2-4 Insert Table 2-5 Table 2.5 (continued) Selected Suffixes That Have More Than One Meaning Insert Table 2-6 Table 2.6 (continued) Selected Suffixes That Pertain To Pathological Conditions Insert Table 2-6 Table 2.6 (continued) Selected Suffixes That Pertain To Pathological Conditions Table 2.6 (continued) Selected Suffixes That Pertain To Pathological Conditions Insert Table 2-6 Insert Table 2-7 Insert Table 2-7 Table 2.7 (continued) Selected Suffixes Used in Surgical and Diagnostic Procedures Table 2.7 (continued) Selected Suffixes Used in Surgical and Diagnostic Procedures Suffix Match Up Quiz -cide a. formation -gen b. flow -plegia c. rupture -rrhea d. to kill -rrhexis e. paralysis